HOUGANG TO TAKE ON FILIPINO CHAMPS IN SG CUP OPENER

The 2015 Singapore Cup draw was held at the Ocean Financial Centre on Friday afternoon, with Hougang United drawn against Philippines outfit Global FC in one of the three preliminary round fixtures.

The tie, which will be played between 20 to 26 May, is certainly not an easy one for the Cheetahs – considering that Global are last season’s United Football League (UFL) champions.

Leigh Manson’s side possesses a number of established Philippines internationals such as Patrick Deyto, Mark Hartmann, Matthew Hartmann, Daisuke Sato, Amani Aguinaldo and captain Misagh Bahadoran. However captain Nurhilmi Jasni is unfazed of the challenge ahead.

“We’re very happy with the draw,” he said. “Playing Global will be a great experience for us. Although we’re the underdogs, I believe anything can happen when it comes to cup games. We just have to prepare well and give our best in this game. I’m hoping that a good crowd will turn up to support us.”

The Cheetahs’ best-ever performance in the competition was in the 2011 edition, where they overcame the likes of Harimau Muda B and Myanmar’s Okktha United to reach the last four – narrowly missing out on the final due to an extra-time goal scored by Albirex Niigata (S). Nurhilmi is keeping his fingers crossed of a similar run.

“Of course we’ll like to advance to the semi-final, but we’ll take one game at a time for now,” said the 28-year-old.

If the Cheetahs win this tie, they will face off against either Geylang International or Lao Police FC (Laos) in the quarter-finals – which is scheduled between 10 to 17 August.

The semi-finals will be played between 28 September to 4 October while the grand final will be played at Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday 27 November.